V-doped activated Ru/Ti2.5V0.5C2 dual-active center accelerate hydrogen production from ammonia borane.

Designing and constructing the active center of Ru-based catalysts is the key to efficient hydrolysis of ammonia borane (NH3BH3, AB) for hydrogen production. Herein, V-doped Ru/Ti2.5V0.5C2 dual-active center catalysts were synthesized, showing excellent catalytic ability for AB hydrolysis. The corresponding turnover frequency value was 1072 min-1 at 298 K, and the hydrolysis rate rB of AB was 235 × 103 mL·min-1·gRu-1. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicated that the interaction between V-doped Ti3C2 and catalytic metal Ru transfers electrons from Ti to Ru, resulting in electron-rich Ru species. According to density functional theory calculations, the activation energy and reaction dissociation energy of the reactants AB and H2O on V-doped catalysts were lower than those of Ru/Ti3C2, thus optimizing the catalytic kinetics of AB hydrolysis. The modification strategy of V-doped Ti3C2 provides a new pathway for the development of high-performance catalysts for AB hydrolysis.

[Pollution Characteristics and Potential Ecological Risk of Heavy Metals in Urban Surface Water Sediments from Yongkang].

In order to understand the pollution characteristics of heavy metals in surface water sediments of Yongkang, we analyzed the concentrations of 10 heavy metals including Ti, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Pb and Fe in 122 sediment samples, explored the underlying source of heavy metals and then assessed the potential ecological risks of those metals by methods of the index of geo-accumulation and the potential ecological risk. The study results showed that: 10 heavy metal contents followed the order: Fe > Ti > Mn > Zn > Cr > Cu > Ph > Ni > As > Co, all heavy metals except for Ti were 1. 17 to 3.78 times higher than those of Zhejiang Jinhua- Quzhou basin natural soils background values; The concentrations of all heavy metals had a significantly correlation between each other, indicating that those heavy metals had similar sources of pollution, and it mainly came from industrial and vehicle pollutions; The pollution extent of heavy metals in sediments by geo-accumulation index (Igeo) followed the order: Cr > Zn > Ni > Cu > Fe > As > Pb >Mn > Ti, thereinto, Cr, Zn, Cu and Ni were moderately polluted or heavily polluted at some sampling sites; The potential ecological risk of 9 heavy metals in sediments were in the following order: Cu > As > Ni > Cr > Pb > Co > Zn > Mn > Ti, Cu and As contributed the most to the total potential ecological risk, accounting for 22.84% and 21. 62% , others had a total of 55.54% , through the ecological risk assessment, 89. 34% of the potential ecological risk indexes ( RI) were low and 10. 66% were higher. The contamination level of heavy metals in Yongkang was slight in total, but was heavy in local areas.

Pathology of guinea pigs experimentally infected with a novel reovirus and coronavirus isolated from SARS patients.

Guinea pigs were inoculated with a reovirus (ReoV) and coronavirus (SARS-CoV) isolated from SARS patients to determine their potential role in the etiology of SARS. Animals infected with ReoV died between day 22 and day 30 postinoculation (PI) while 70% of the animals inoculated with ReoV and SARS-CoV died between day 4 to day 7 PI. The titer of neutralizing antibodies against ReoV and SARS-CoV ranged from 80 to 160 when the animals were inoculated with the two viruses, respectively, while the titer of the antibodies was just below 10 in coinfections. The animal inoculated with ReoV developed diffuse alveolar damage similar to the exudative and leakage inflammation found in SARS patients, and was characterized by diffuse hemorrhage, fibroid exudation, hyaline membrane formation, and type II pneumocytes hyperplasia in alveolar interstitia. The pulmonary epithelial necrosis, excoriation, and early fibrosis of pulmonary tissue were only observed in ReoV-SARS-CoV groups and in SARS-CoV/ReoV groups. Other typical pathological changes included hemorrhagic necrosis in lymph nodes and spleen and hydropic degeneration in the liver. On the contrary, guinea pigs infected with SARS-CoV only developed interstitial pneumonitis. Our experiment demonstrate that ReoV might be one of the primary causes of SARS, since simultaneous coinfection can duplicate the typical pathological changes similar to that of SARS patients. This guinea pig model may provide a useful animal model for SARS.